


Crashing Down to Earth

by orphan_account



Series: FiKi at Hogwarts [8]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 18:30:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6577720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finals are over, and summer vacation is about to begin. Kili has to decide whether he wants to spend the summer with Fili, potentially forcing his boyfriend into a position of choosing between Kili and his family, or spending one more summer with his emotionally distant parents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crashing Down to Earth

Kili sighed in contentment as he leaned back against Fili’s chest, staring out at the Black Lake, the sun glinting brightly off the waves caused by the Giant Squid’s tentacles as it lazily batted at something Kili couldn’t see. Exams were finally over, and he was trying to soak in as much happiness in Fili’s arms as he could before they both left for the summer in a couple of days.

“They don’t mistreat you, right?” Fili asked all of a sudden, causing Kili to lean his head back to look up at him in confusion. The blond looked down at him with concern in his blue eyes. “Your parents, I mean. You don’t really say much about them, and you are always sad at the end of the year…”

He shook his head and shifted his gaze back to the lake. His relationship with his parents was difficult to put into words. “They’ve never hit me or anything, if that’s what you mean. They provide for me and all,” he replied with a shrug. “Other than that, they mostly just leave me alone.”

Fili’s arms tightened around him. “Do they love you?”

Kili frowned at the question. It bothered him that he wasn’t sure what the answer was. “They’ve been scared of me for so long,” he said softly, feeling slightly guilty at everything he had put his parents through over the years. “Even before I got infected. I was… a bit of a troublemaker when I was little, and I learned pretty quickly that if I wanted something to happen badly enough, it would just _happen_. My Aunt Phyllis called me a devil child and suggested my parents look into an exorcism.”

Fili was quiet for a moment. “I can’t imagine you as a troublemaker,” he said at last, resting his chin on Kili’s shoulder.

“Oh, I was terrible,” he chuckled sadly. “My Aunt Phyllis can’t be blamed too much because she was a favorite target of mine. One time, I gave her a unibrow and a beard. In my defense, though, she pinched my cheeks very hard and wouldn’t let me watch television.”

“What changed?” Fili prompted, a note of sorrow in his voice.

He bit his lip, not really liking thinking about that time of his life, but Fili deserved to understand. “After the Aurors saved me from the wolf that attacked me, they took me to St. Mungo’s. I’m pretty sure they thought I was a Muggle and just brought me there so that my death would be a bit easier.” Fili made a choked noise at that. Kili squeezed his hand, but continued on. 

“They only brought my parents in when they knew I was going to survive,” he said, smiling ruefully. “My parents were actually _happy_ to learn I was a wizard, that there was a whole wizarding world with a government and banks and all that other normal stuff. Then they found out about the wolf…”

A tear fell unbidden from his eyes, but he quickly wiped it away. “A member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures came in and told us what was going to happen. That I would be registered as a werewolf, but that I would still be allowed to go to Hogwarts if I managed to control the wolf until then. He also stressed, though, that the consequences of _losing_ control would be strictly enforced.”

“How old were you?” Fili asked in a strained voice.

“Nine,” Kili answered, fighting to keep his voice steady as he remembered the fear of that night. The word “consequences” from the the Ministry worker that night had frightened him nearly as badly as the wolf’s glowing yellow eyes before it attacked. “It felt like I was being _blamed_ for being attacked, like it was _my_ fault. After that, I guess I just kinda… made sure I never did anything I could be blamed for… I think my parents were relieved.”

“Well, _I’m_ relieved that you didn’t entirely lose your mischievous spark,” Fili stated firmly, pressing a kiss to Kili’s temple. “I _love_ your mischievous spark.”

He rolled his eyes fondly and turned slightly in the Gryffindor’s arms to look him at him. He could tell from the sadness in Fili’s eyes and the slight downturn of his lips that betrayed how upset Kili’s tale had made him. “You think you love everything about me,” he pointed out.

“I _know_ I love everything about you,” he replied confidently. Kili tried to look away from Fili’s tender gaze, but the blond cupped his cheek so that he couldn’t. “I’m serious, Kee. Everything. Even the things you do that drive me crazy sometimes, like your annoying insistence on eating one thing at a time at dinner.”

“I don’t like to mix my food,” he grumbled before giving him a smile. “I love everything about you, too, you know. Even your crazy obsession with Quidditch.”

Fili beamed at him before leaning in to kiss him. The blond kept it fairly chaste, but Kili was having none of that. He turned completely so that he was lying completely on top of the Gryffindor, pressing his body flush against Fili’s and snaking his tongue out to deepen the kiss.

Fili groaned, bringing his hands up Kili’s hips as he arched into the Hufflepuff’s body, gasping as he broke the kiss. “You’re going to kill me,” he panted as Kili’s lips latched onto his neck instead.

For his part, Kili couldn’t believe he was being this daring, this _forward_ , especially since they weren’t really in that secluded of a spot. But Fili made him feel brave, like he didn’t have to worry about other people’s opinion. When he was with Fili, call that mattered was _them_.

“You said you loved my mischievous spark,” he teased, looking up at the blond coyly.

Fili laughed, pulling him up for another lingering kiss. “I do. I love you. And I think you should spend the summer with me.”

“You know I can’t,” Kili groaned, burying his face in Fili’s neck. It wasn’t that he didn’t _want_ to. Spending the summer basking in the sun that was Fili instead of the gloom of his parents’ house sounded wonderful. “Your family…”

“We won’t stay with them the whole time,” Fili cut him off quickly, giving him a pleading look. “We’ll stay a couple weeks with them, but we’ll leave well before the next full moon. We’re both of age. We can travel, or get a place of our own, whatever you want. We can use the money in my trust fund. You won’t have to worry about anything.”

It sounded amazing, but… “I can’t take you away from your family for the summer,” he said with a shake of his head. “Not after you spent Christmas with me. Besides, we can survive two months apart.”

“I’m not worry about us, I’m worried about _you_ ,” he told him, bringing a hand up to brush back Kili’s hair. “I don’t like the thought of you all alone.”

Kili gave him a sad smile. “I’ve kinda gotten used to being alone.”

“You aren’t alone, though,” Fili said vehemently. “Never again.” Kili’s face must have shown his doubt because Fili pressed their foreheads together with a growl, eyes boring into his, begging him to believe him. “Never, Kili, I promise. I’m not going anywhere. I love you.”

“I know you love me,” he said with a sigh. “But your family doesn’t know what I am. If they don’t approve…”

“Then they don’t approve,” Fili replied immediately. “It doesn’t change anything.”

Kili gave him a significant look. “You know it does,” he told him seriously. “You love your family, and they love you. I can’t make you choose between them and me.”

“And I’m telling you that there is no choice,” he stated firmly. “You are my number one priority. It’s my family’s choice whether or not to accept that.”

Kili just settled against him with a sigh, not wanting to argue anymore about it. He _wanted_ to believe Fili, but he knew how much the blond loved his family. Even if Fili would choose him above them, Kili wasn’t sure he wanted him to.

“We should head back,” he said instead. “The sun’s getting low in the sky.”

“Yeah,” Fili agreed regretfully, letting go of Kili so that he could stand before letting the Hufflepuff pull him up as well. “Let’s get you to the hospital wing before Pomfrey starts to worry.”

They began their trek back to the castle, but Kili stopped short and gripped Fili’s hand tightly as he caught sight of three official-looking wizards. He recognized one as the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, because of his very distinct lime green bowler hat. But that wasn’t who caused Kili to shrink against Fili in fear.

“What is it?” Fili asked, squinting ahead, scowling as he realized who Kili had noticed. “Walden McNair,” he growled, hand leaving Kili’s so that he could wrap his arm firmly around his waist instead. “It’s disgusting that so many former Death Eaters have bought their way into the Ministry.”

“I didn’t realize he was a Death Eater,” he muttered with a shudder, stepping closer to the blond. He wasn’t surprised, though, that a former follower of Voldemort would have _that_ occupation.

“Yeah, him, Malfoy, Avery,” he spat. “It’s amazing how easily the Ministry will look the other way if you have a bullshit story about being under the Imperius Curse and a lot of money to back it up.”

“Can we wait until they leave?” the Hufflepuff asked with a whimper, burying his face in Fili’s shoulder. 

“Of course,” he replied, wrapping both arms around Kili’s trembling body. “But why are you so scared?”

“He’s the executioner,” Kili whispered. “When they decide a magical creature deserves to die, he…” 

Kili shuddered against and made sure not to look back, not wanting to see the ax the man carried with him. He had had nightmares about that ax, and he had really only seen it in person once, at a distance.

He did not need an up-close look.

“He’s not here for you,” Fili murmured, rubbing soothing circles into his back. “And if he were, I wouldn’t let him touch you.”

“Why _is_ he here?” Kili asked with a scowl. 

“Probably for Hagrid’s hippogriff,” the Gryffindor said grimly. “But they’re gone now. Let’s get you to the hospital wing before the sun sets.”

He nodded gloomily and let Fili lead him to the castle. He couldn’t help glancing towards Hagrid’s hut in the distance, though, feeling sad for the hippogriff who was condemned to die.

 

#

 

Fili almost skipped breakfast the next morning in order to go straight to Kili. In hindsight, he almost wished he had. While what happened was something he was glad to have witnessed firsthand, if only to be able to later relay it to Kili without the iffy rumor-mill filter, he really had to wonder if he could ever sit through a Potions class again without murdered Snape.

Though he had always known Snape was a prick, Fili had always had a modicum of respect for the man simply because he was a Hogwarts professor. Sure, he was completely biased and treated every house but his own with disdain, but Dumbledore was a great man and a good headmaster. Surely he wouldn’t keep anyone on staff who was _completely_ rotten.

Apparently Fili had been wrong, though, because it could a special kind of malice to completely ruin a man’s life so _casually_ over breakfast. Particularly when that man was as mild-mannered as Remus Lupin.

The Defense professor obviously wasn’t there to defend himself. Fili knew, with the full moon the night before, Lupin would be physically and magically exhausted and was probably passed out in his bed, completely unaware of what the Potions professor had done.

“Lupin forgot to take his Wolfsbane Potion last night,” Snape commented loudly to McGonagall as soon as he had taken a seat at the head table. “I thought one of the conditions of hiring a werewolf was that he would take his potion faithfully?”

McGonagall gaped at him in shocked horror as the students in the Great Hall gave a collective gasp. Ice crept into Fili’s heart as whispers broke out among the students, most talking about how _nice_ they had _thought_ Lupin was, with the definite implication that they were obviously wrong.

Merlin, this was going to devastate Kili. Fili knew his boyfriend felt a strong kinship with the older werewolf, and the fact that Lupin was able to get a job as a Hogwarts professor had boosted his confidence in his own career prospects.

Fili stood up quickly, not saying a word to Tauriel, who had been strangely quiet throughout the commotion. He rushed out the Great Hall, needing to be the one to break the news to Kili and comfort him as much as he could.

He ran to the hospital wing, bursting open the door. As soon as he stepped in, though, Madam Pomfrey was scolding him.

“Mr. Durin, there are sick people here!” she told him sternly, blocking his path to Kili’s room. “I expect you to respect that unless you want to lose all visiting privileges.”

“I’m sorry,” he said in a rush, trying to move past her but being thwarted at every attempt. “I need to see Kili though!”

“Mr. Oakenshield is still resting,” she said firmly. “I won’t have you disturbing him. There has been enough disturbances in my hospital wing tonight.”

It was then that Fili noticed that three beds in the hospital wing were occupied, when they had all been empty the night before. He didn’t bother looking closer to see who was there, though. He was too focused on getting to Kili.

“Please let me see him,” Fili begged, not caring who saw him do it. “It’s important.”

“Fine,” she relented after giving him a hard look. 

He smiled gratefully, darting around him and into the room without another word, shutting the door quickly to make sure whoever was in the main part of the wing didn’t catch sight of Kili, not wanting to give anyone even the slightest hint about Kili’s secret. Not after Snape outed Lupin.

He expected Kili to still be sleeping so he was surprised to see the brunet struggling to sit up as he walked into the room. Fili rushed over quickly to help him, sliding an arm around Kili’s back to support him and taking a seat next to him on the bed, careful to keep the blanket between him and Kili’s naked body so as to not make Kili uncomfortable.

“I’ve got so much to tell you,” Kili mumbled as he leaned into Fili’s hold. 

“I’ve got something to tell you too, but you go first,” he said, wanting to put off crushing Kili for as long as possible.

“Snape caught Black last night,” the Hufflepuff told him. “Potter, Granger, and Weasley were there too. Potter and Granger insist that Black is innocent though, that he didn’t kill anyone or support You-Know-Who.”

“What?” Fili asked, shocked. That was the last thing he had expected to hear.

Kili nodded sleepily, nuzzling into Fili’s chest. “Dumbledore believed them, but no one else did. But Black escaped somehow. Snape was furious.”

“How do you know this?” the blond wanted to know. Not that he didn’t believe Kili, but it all sounded so fantastical.

“There was a lot of shouting last night in the main part of the wing,” he explained, voice slurring with exhaustion. “The wolf has good hearing, and it woke me up.”

“Was Lupin involved?” Fili asked, the puzzle pieces beginning to slot together in his head.

Kili shrugged. “I think I heard his name, but it’s a bit fuzzy.”

“That would explain why Snape was mad enough to let everyone at breakfast know about him being a werewolf,” he muttered.

Kili shot up straight up at that, swaying dangerously before Fili steadied him once more. He stared at the blond with panicky eyes. “Snape did _what_?!?”

Fili winced sympathetically. “The whole school probably knows he’s a werewolf by now.”

“Which means every witch and wizard in the UK will know soon,” Kili spat bitterly. “How could he just _ruin_ Lupin’s life like that?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a shake of his head, pulling Kili into a tight hug as tears began streaming down the Hufflepuff’s face. “It’ll be okay.”

“It’s not fair,” he mumbled, voice muffled by Fili’s chest. “He worked so hard to get where he is, and now no one will care. They’ll just see a werewolf.”

“Some people will care,” Fili assured him. “And maybe people will see him and change their opinions on werewolves. It may be easier to break prejudices with a respectable wizard outed as a werewolf. I mean, before now, the only well-known werewolf was Fenrir Greyback.”

“Maybe,” Kili murmured, slumping against Fili.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” Fili suggested with a sigh. “You’re exhausted.”

Fili held the brunet close as he let himself fall asleep, mind whirring as he tried to wrap his head around Snape’s pettiness as well as what Kili had told him.

He really didn’t know what to think about any of it, and was grateful he was going home tomorrow. Uncle Thorin would be able to help him make sense of everything.

For now, he was just grateful that, if what Kili had heard was true, he didn’t have to worry about a muggleborn-hating psychotic murderer roaming free when Kili was going home alone for two months.

 

#

 

“You’re leaving?” Kili asked wearily as he walked into Lupin’s office to see him packing up his things. “I figured you would.”

The professor gave him a sad smile. “I knew you’d understand.”

“How bad has it been?” he asked, dropping into a chair as he watched the older werewolf move about the office. He wasn’t sure how Lupin had enough energy to move about so easily. Did it just get easier to deal with over time or was it just adrenalin that allowed Lupin to not be as dead on his feet as Kili?

“It’s been a mixed bag,” Lupin told him honestly. “Some students have been a bit nasty, but some look a little awestruck really. I imagine parents won’t be very happy when they learn, though. I thought I’d do Dumbledore a favor and resign before the response forced him to fire me.”

“Is it true you forgot your potion?” Kili asked. That had been the part that Kili found hardest to believe. He had always took the potion fastidiously, knowing the consequences of not doing so would be dire.

The professor sighed. “There were… extenuating circumstances.”

“Black?”

“Yes,” Lupin replied. “I see the rumor mill at Hogwarts is still working. It’s a long story, really, but it boils down to Sirius being innocent and the man he supposedly kill being in the castle for years without anyone knowing. It was… a lot for me to process.”

“So Black really is innocent?” Kili repeated, stunned that it was true. The man who had had the entire wizarding world in fear for the past year, throwing the entire Ministry of Magic in a panic, was _innocent_. It made him wonder just how bad the wizarding justice system was.

“He is, but that doesn’t matter right now,” he said, giving Kili a knowing look. “You look like you desperately need some rest, and I’m sure Fili is waiting just around the corner to drag you back to bed, so I won’t go into all that now.”

Kili had to smile a bit at that, knowing that Fili was, in fact, right outside the door waiting for him.

“But, Kili, I want you to know that just because I’m not going to be your teacher anymore doesn’t mean you can’t come to me if you ever need to,” Lupin told him earnestly. “I’m only an owl away, I promise.”

“Thank you,” he said shyly, though he wasn’t sure if he would take him up on the offer, not knowing how much Lupin was going to have on his plate now that his lycanthropy had become common knowledge. “I’ll let you get back to your packing.”

“Oh and Kili?” Lupin said, a moment before Kili walked out the door, giving him a sad smile. “Keep trusting Fili no matter what happens, okay? Don’t make my mistakes and guard your heart too closely.”

Kili frowned, wondering exactly what the story was between Lupin and Black, but decided not to pry. “I won’t,” he promised, nodding his goodbye before walking out.

Fili grinned at him as he shut the door behind him, intertwining their fingers together and leading him to Gryffindor Tower, which was a bit closer than Hufflepuff Basement. “Come on,” he said, giving Kili a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go take a nap before the feast.”

Kili nodded and followed Fili down the corridor. He stopped him, though, before they reached the portrait entrance.

“I want to stay with you over the summer,” he told him seriously. “I don’t care where we stay or what we do, but I want to be together.”

“Really?” Fili asked in hopeful excitement. “You mean it?”

He nodded. “I love you, and I trust that you wouldn’t put me in a situation that would make me uncomfortable.”

Fili beamed at him before pulling him into a passionate kiss. “I love you,” he breathed as they broke apart.

Kili smiled back, the look of absolute happiness on Fili’s face telling him that he made the right decision. “I love you too.”

Fin.


End file.
